Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday examined how many campaign promises -- including those involving the state workers' compensation system and Healthy Families -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has kept as he approaches his first 100 days in office. The Times reports that while Schwarzenegger fulfilled his two major campaign promises by rolling back the vehicle license fee and repealing a law that allowed undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses, he "has yet to produce results" on the "vast majority of his campaign promises." According to the Times, Schwarzenegger "relentlessly talked up his proposal to reform the workers' compensation system" during his campaign, saying, "I won't sign a budget unless it includes comprehensive workers' compensation reform." However, Schwarzenegger "has been forced to shift tactics" and instead will seek to put on the November ballot a measure to reform the state workers' compensation system if lawmakers to not accept his plan, the Times reports. During the recall campaign, Schwarzenegger called for the expansion of health coverage to include all California children, saying that the "only problem with [Healthy Families] right now is that ... the government has not done a good job in reaching out and finding the people and letting them know to sign up." However, Schwarzenegger's budget proposal calls for capping enrollment in Healthy Families, which could result in keeping 113,800 children out of the program in the next fiscal year, the Times reports. According to the Times, aides to Schwarzenegger say that the governor has not fulfilled all of his campaign promises because he has been in office for only 72 days and because he "must revive the economy and eliminate the budget deficit" before the state can fund his promised investments in state programs (Mathews et al., Los Angeles Times, 1/27).

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